Fries Scheepvaart Museum

Ship models

The ship model section focuses on Frisian coastal navigation, inland navigation (e.g. 18th century skûtsjes), beurtvaart (to transport passengers, livestock and freight along fixed routes at fixed prices), the fishing, maritime freight and shipbuilding sectors, and the Admiralty of Friesland. The unique pleasure craft section includes older and more modern sailing yachts. The backbone of the collection consists of 300 ship models and a few real vessels.

Period rooms

The Sneker Oudheidkamer displays how traders from Sneek and Southwest Friesland used to live. Nine period rooms display various 18th- and 19th-century homes, from a luxurious dining room to a farm’s opkamer (a room on a slightly higher floor level, above a basement). The ice exhibition hall focuses on ice skating. The stories of the items are told in many ways, via information sheets, audio tours and short films. For the kids, there is a Children’s Museum (Kindermuseum).

Children's Museum

The largest exhibition hall in the Fries Scheepvaart Museum is specially for children. At the interactive Children’s Museum, they can play in a Fresian schouw (a flat-bottomed fishing boat), build a raft, discover how blocks work, and while the day away in the underwater world. Play one of our digital games and find out more about sailing ships. Dress up as a Viking, help row a longship and ‘stay overnight’ in a Viking tent.

Family guided tour

Want to discover as much as possible? Book the special family guided tour. A museum guide will lead you through various aspects of Frisian navigation. There are find activities for young and old alike along the way. The museum is open daily, but guided tours for the family need to be booked at least five days in advance.